British, U.S. Officials, Airlines Address Ebola Outbreak

Jul 30, 2014

News outlets report on British and U.S. government reaction to the Ebola outbreak in West Africa, as well as reaction from airlines and Liberian immigrants in the U.S.

Financial Times: Hammond calls emergency meeting on Ebola
“Philip Hammond, [British] foreign secretary, is holding an emergency meeting of officials and ministers on Wednesday to discuss the potential threat to Britain from the outbreak of Ebola in West Africa…” (Pickard, 7/30).

Reuters: U.K. Foreign Secretary says Ebola outbreak “a threat” to Britain
“…Hammond said no British citizens were believed to be affected and no cases had been reported in Britain, but said he would chair an emergency meeting of officials on Wednesday to look at what precautions were needed…” (7/30).

CQ HealthBeat: CDC Educating Health Workers About Ebola Transmission
“Public health officials say they are teaching American health care workers how to isolate patients exposed to Ebola and to protect themselves from the virus that kills most people it infects. During a telephone press briefing Monday, Stephan Monroe of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention also said the outbreak shows the need for lawmakers to fund a proposed $45 million dollar ‘global security’ initiative at CDC that is designed to strengthen public health agencies in developing countries…” (Reichard, 7/29).

Roll Call: CDC Sees Low Ebola Risk to United States Via International Flights
“…Stephan Monroe, the deputy director of the Centers for Disease Control’s National Center for Emerging Zoonotic and Infectious Diseases, told reporters Monday that ‘it’s possible that someone could become infected with the Ebola virus in Africa and then get on a plane to the United States.’ But, he added, ‘It’s very unlikely that they would be able to spread the disease to fellow passengers’…” (Curry, 7/29).

Agence France-Presse: Pan-African airline suspends flights to Ebola hit countries
“Pan-African airline ASKY suspended all flights to and from the capitals of Liberia and Sierra Leone over the worsening Ebola health crisis, as the Liberian football association said it halted all activities in the country…” (7/29).

Associated Press/Seattle Times: Liberians in U.S. worry about Ebola outbreak
“An outbreak of Ebola in West Africa may seem like a distant threat to many Americans, but it is causing some to cancel travel plans and stirring fear in Minnesota, which has the largest Liberian immigrant population in the United States…” (Forliti, 7/29).